Hirekind Leaves No Excuses For Lack Of Diversity In Tech

Are you still questioning the need for diversity and inclusion initiatives? More than 50% of the employees at Apple and Google are white according to their 2017 diversity report. That information may not move you, but what could is the loss of potential money and great candidates. “Workplace culture drives turnover, significantly affecting the retention of underrepresented groups, and costing the industry $16 billion a year,” a statement found in the 2017 Kapor Center for Social Impact study on tech leavers. For those companies struggling to change their diversity numbers and create an office culture where the underrepresented can thrive, Hirekind may be the company to help.

“Hirekind currently leverages technology to build a community of talent and culture-first companies, both sides ready to move the needle on representation in tech together,” said Chief Technology Officer, Amy Cho. “Hirekind isn't just a database of people like many companies, it goes beyond the surface level of matching salary ranges and years of experience. Hirekind tech is about taking what the talent and partner companies are sharing with us, including their needs, preferences, and pain points about the recruiting process, and converting that information into meaningful indicators of work culture so that the matching algorithms are more holistic and substantial in our AI platform.” Cho continued.

Cofounders Xuan Yue and Tash Jefferies are pushing to help companies address diversity by introducing this technology as well as in-person networking events. Jefferies gave more insight into how they will impact 2 million careers by 2020.

Joresa Blount: Why do you think companies need Hirekind?

Tash Jefferies: Many times non-diverse teams and leaders have a hard time connecting with people from underrepresented groups. Therefore, they find it harder making a connection with them. Because our team also are our ideal clients, in that we are women and people of color, we can share our stories with candidates so they know we truly understand their needs and requirements on their job search. We have a unique ability to build trust with our clients and candidates, because we truly understand what underrepresented people need to feel safe and valued within an organization.

Blount: Why did you decide to join the team at Hirekind?

Jefferies: I came on board as cofounder in December of 2017, because I wanted to be a part of a tech startup. Also, I wasn’t interested in any tech startup but one that had an ability to help as many people as possible especially those who were being overlooked and underserved. Hirekind was a no-brainer.

Blount: This is an interesting platform to launch at this time. If companies need Hirekind to add diversity to their company, how do you address the needs of executive level diversity- those with power to hire, and those heading departments?

Jefferies: So far, we're finding that newly-funded startups, especially those within the cryptocurrency and blockchain space are seriously tapping into the lack of diversity within their space. Fortunately, they come to us already knowing there's an issue, and are willing to admit that they need help fixing it. It's been a happily-surprising trend, and one that gives us hope that this will spread to the larger tech community.

For the larger tech community, one of the biggest challenges we face is with company leaders thinking that one slice of parity, especially gender parity, means their company is excelling and beating industry numbers. We then are usually in a position to educate our clients that diversity goes beyond men/women numbers and extends to racial, ethnic, abilities, sexual orientations, identities, ages and beyond. We do our best to provide support on the growing community that our clients build. We are always still learning about diversity as well, so we share our learnings with our clients.

Blount: How does diversity and inclusion impact companies?

Jefferies: Most people leave companies because of the environment, culture, lack of upward mobility, and lack of career support. These issues are amplified as women and people of color leave organizations, creating mono-cultured companies that may not be able to last as our global business needs a shift. Organizations like ours can not only help prepare candidates for entering organizations like these, but also facilitate their integration within these companies, and provide consulting to help them maintain their culture improvements.

Secondly, companies that don't reflect the customer base they serve will always leave money on the table and be unable to attract clients. The best way to stay in touch with the needs of the clients you serve is to have team members who can relate to them. Most of our clients serve emerging market customers (China, India, Africa, highly female-based users) and understand that if their entire team is only white males, they will have a hard time understanding their problems, and how their products and services solve them.

Blount: What do you think tech companies will look like in the next 5 years regarding staffing?

Jefferies: I would like to see resumes and resume-screening tools fade out as most of them have algorithms that have bias built-in. I would like to see a movement to tools that include empathy, culture and environment type assessments and questions. Being able to match for these more highly-relevant needs will save all companies and recruiting organizations time and money and dramatically shorten the hiring time.

Blount: What were you doing prior to Hirekind?

Jefferies: I was leading my own digital and social media consulting company, and was also a strategist mentor/advisor to companies at 500 Startups and Runway Incubator. I've transitioned from my consulting company, but still provide advising to the programs.

Blount: Since you are an expert in branding, what are 2-3 ways that tech companies can stand out with so many launching?

Jefferies: 1) Position your executive team as thought leaders- Encourage your leadership team to be expressive, showcase their talents, write, and show up on social media. Not as many leaders as you think take advantage of this great way to spread the word about your skills, team, and company. Make use of it. 2) Use multimedia to increase your visibility - Whether you get interviewed for a YouTube show or Podcast, find ways to have people get to know you, and what makes you unique. If people know you, like you, and trust you, from hearing you, understanding your thought process, and seeing how you work and present, there’s a greater likelihood they'll reach out to you for business opportunities and partnership. 3) Engage with your audience on social media - Even if your company is B2B, many startup founders miss huge opportunities by not engaging in their LinkedIn and Twitter feeds. No matter your client base, there is always a way to leverage social media to have people become aware of your brand, products, and services. Also, as people ask questions, reach out, write to you - respond in a timely fashion. Quick tip - For B2B customers, stick to LinkedIn and Twitter; for B2C customers, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Pinterest may be places to play.

Blount: What is the magic behind a successful social media strategy?

Jefferies: The most significant part of any successful social media strategy is clearly understanding who your customer personas are! Each platform is geared towards specific demographics - ages, genders, ethnicities, careers. In order to reach your ideal audience, you need to know who they are so you can choose the right platforms to be visible on. Best example: if you have a product for people aged 15-20, you'd probably want to choose Snapchat over LinkedIn which is geared for more advanced career folks, not those just starting out.

Joresa Blount is an author, Head of Content for Creator|Founder, and creator of Brown Girls Innovate too which provides tools and connections for women in tech.